Starting seventh, after narrowly missing out on Q3 on Saturday, Kyle Kirkwood drove a methodical race, making well-timed attacks to close the gap to Álex Palou after the final round of pit stops for both drivers. The Andretti driver needed only six laps to catch the Chip Ganassi Racing driver, and just one attempt in the final corner to overtake him. An attempt that perfectly reflected Kirkwood’s performance on Sunday: full of panache but also calculated.
The first safety car period of the race, just four laps from the finish, for Christian Rasmussen’s (ECR) on-track stoppage, could have drastically altered the final standings. Despite a less than ideal restart, Kirkwood only needed to stay ahead of Palou for two corners before another safety car period following a collision between Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing) and Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren).
Kirkwood showcased the strength of the Andretti Global team throughout the weekend, which dominated from Saturday’s practice sessions onwards. His teammate Marcus Ericsson, starting from pole position for the first time in his career, finished fourth, behind the team’s third member, Will Power.
The Australian managed to execute a particularly patient strategy, making only two pit stops. In a race where the soft tires seemed difficult to maintain, Power managed to stay on track for a third of each of his first two stints, and finished third with only his one set of hard tires to use during the race.
Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) finished fifth, making him the first Chevrolet driver to cross the finish line. Today’s winner, Kirkwood, took the championship lead from Palou. After three races in three weeks, the drivers in theIndyCar will have a week of rest before the fourth round of the championship, on March 29 at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham (Alabama).
IndyCar 2026 – Arlington
The classification of the race
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